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Stroke Awareness and Response

A stroke occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is either blocked or when blood vessels within the brain rupture. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), strokes are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Every 4 minutes someone in the United States dies from a stroke, and the CDC estimates that 800,000 strokes occur annually in the US1. Please see signs, symptoms and response procedures for individuals having a stroke on or off campus.

Signs and Symptoms

Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body (such as face, arm, and/or leg)

Difficulty walking or loss of balance

Problems with speech, thinking, awareness, or memory

Difficulty controlling or expressing emotions

Problems with vision

Numbness or tingling sensations

Pain in the hands and feet

A simple way to identify the signs and symptoms of a Stroke is to remember the acronym F.A.S.T.

FACE:If the individual’s face looks uneven, ask them to smile

ARMS:Ask the individual to raise both arms

SPEECH: Ask the individual to speak, listen for slurring

TIME:If the individual exhibits any of the signs above, it is time to call 911 and 711

Response

Since strokes restrict the flow of blood to the brain, anyone suffering a stroke must receive immediate medical attention. Additionally, because a stroke is an internal brain injury, there is very little that LIM College community members or Building Team members can do besides call 911 and ride with the patient to the hospital.

If you, or someone you notice, or someone has verbally shared having these signs and symptoms, you should immediately call 911 and call the LIM College Emergency Line (212) 310-0660 or 711 from an LIM College phone.

Once First Responders are on scene a LIM College faculty/staff member should ride with the injured LIM College Community Member to the hospital. No LIM College Community Member should ride alone in an Ambulance!